The Vaticinator

25. Accidental But Severely Detrimental

Holy shit, I kissed a guy.

It wasn’t actually a ‘kiss’ per se, but it is still something hard to digest. Now that I am left alone with my thoughts, I find myself expressing diluvian amounts of shock at my actions. I am standing in the same corridor, leaning against the same wall I had Neal pinned a few minutes before. The sane, logical part of my brain justifies my act. Neal wouldn’t have drunk the repellant even if I licked his feet. We were running out of time as it is. And considering that for a human Neal is not exactly weak, I am sure I would have received some sort of physical retaliation from Neal if I were to force the liquid down his throat with my hands. I may have empowered him eventually in that case, but with the risk of spilling the contents during the hassle. I have been informed that the vial can contain only a fixed quantity which is in compliance with what is requisite to bring out the suppressing effects in us. Therefore it was imperative that I don’t waste a substantial amount of it.

Spontaneously, ‘kissing’ was the only thing that entered my mind. I honestly couldn’t come up with anything else. I just needed something that would give Neal enough pause, an element of surprise, so he doesn’t get the chance to retaliate. And of course I got that with the kiss.

Neal was dead frozen.

Until he realized my intentions, of course. But the pause was enough for me.

I still cannot believe I kissed a guy.

But as I just reckon, it wasn’t exactly a ‘kiss’.

God, I feel like a broken record. I lean away from the wall, mildly aware that my anxiety is rocketing up. Not only because I am stuck in the hospital with therians for whom I am the bad guy, but also because of the absence of Neal’s aura. It’s making me fidgety. I only hope that Neal has made it past the waiting room safely. Though it annoys me to realize that I will not get to sense his aura for almost twenty four hours. But I will worry about it when I meet up with him again; something that I will prefer to happen quickly.

I am mildly aware of the dull throbbing ache in my right arm. It’s not overtly bothering; but acting as an unwanted tic in the back of my mind. I haven’t sensed any therian as of now and it has already been about ten-fifteen minutes since Neal escaped. I don’t know how thoroughly the therians are checking on us. Have they already left once they realized that we are no longer in the room? Or did they snoop about and are currently busy inquiring random people about us?

The corridor I am at is on the far back side of the hospital. There are no patient rooms here, only room meant for domestic purposes. Cleaning and the sort…or that’s what I am guessing as I notice a human pass through, with a broom in hand. The nurse that had interrupted mine and Neal’s…‘moment’ passed through the corridor once more. She had turned beet red at my sight, making me feel embarrassed in return as she scurried off.

Another ten minutes or so pass as I tap my feet impatiently, leaning my back against the wall. I am almost convinced that the therians have left. A minuscule part of me worries about Neal. Has he made past the therians safely? I will not lie. To not have sensed any therian as of now can also mean that they caught Neal. After all, most of the therians in our realm are aware of how Neal looks like, even if he is not radiating his aura. The tapping of my feet increases, my hands fidgeting incessantly as my anxiety shoots up again. I scowl mentally, absolutely annoyed at how deplorably antsy I am without Neal’s aura around.

My tapping instantly freezes when I sense a therian in the turning corridor. A part of me sighs in relief, assured that they mustn’t have caught Neal if they are still lurking around. But the relief is ephemeral. It’s obvious that if I can sense the therian’s aura then definitely he can sense mine. I take tiny steps away from the turn as the speed of the therian increases in the other corridor. I adjust my jacket in my only working arm, my body getting into flight mode as I keep taking tiny steps back.